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As glaciers in the Alps melt at an alarming rate, Italy and Switzerland are compelled to redraw portions of their shared border near the iconic Matterhorn Peak. This dramatic change serves as another reminder of how rapidly climate change is reshaping the world around us.
The boundary change, agreed upon by both countries, affects the area under Matterhorn, one of the highest and most iconic peaks in the Alps. Overlooking Zermatt, a popular skiing destination, the mountain has long marked the divide between Italy and Switzerland. However, large sections of this border were defined by glaciers and snowfields that are now retreating due to global warming.
National borders usually seem permanent, but the Swiss-Italian boundary is a different story. With glaciers melting and natural landmarks shifting, the border must be adjusted. “With the melting of the glaciers, these natural elements evolve and redefine the national border,” the Swiss government said in a statement.
Although the countries reached this agreement in 2023, Switzerland officially approved it only last week, and Italy is in the process of doing so. Once both governments have signed, the new border details will be made public.
Europe is warming faster than any other continent, and its glaciers are feeling the impact. In Switzerland alone, glaciers lost 4 per cent of their volume last year, following a record 6 per cent loss in 2022. Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight to this trend.
Glaciologist Matthias Huss from ETH Zurich and director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network, GLAMOS, warned that even though heavy snowfall last winter was expected to slow glacier loss, it hasn’t been enough. “Some glaciers are literally falling apart, small glaciers are disappearing,” he was quoted as saying by CNN.
Even with the best efforts to combat climate change, scientists predict that up to half of the world’s glaciers could be gone by 2100. This has far-reaching consequences, including increased landslides and deadly collapses of unstable terrain. In 2022, a glacier collapse in the Italian Alps killed 11 people.
Shrinking glaciers also bring grim discoveries. Last year, the remains of a hiker who went missing 37 years ago near the Matterhorn were uncovered as the ice receded.
Besides these dangerous and eerie effects, glaciers play a vital role in providing freshwater. As they disappear, water shortages during heatwaves could become more frequent, affecting millions of people.
While the border shift is just a small consequence of melting glaciers, it’s a striking visual reminder of how global warming is altering our world in ways we can see on the map. “When people realise it’s affecting our world map. It makes the massive changes from climate change much more visible,” Huss said.
First Published: Oct 02 2024 | 1:04 PM IST
